Changes
by troatie
Summary: Sequel to "Elephants" and "It's The Little Things". Addison and Pete are together and their relationship seems to be strong, but there are still some obstacles on their way. Paddison. Mentions of other couples. Crossover with GA.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: They still belong to Shonda.

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**1**

The thing with holidays and special occasions is there are people who love them and people who hate them, but there's no in-between. That doesn't mean people who love holidays love all holidays. There are people who love Christmas but hate Valentine's day. People who love New Year's Eve but hate birthdays. But the people who love them really do love them, and the people who hate them really do hate them. Which is why, instead of just celebrating their holiday or special occasion of choice, the holiday lovers spend half of the time convincing everyone around to join in on their holiday spirit, while the holiday haters try by all means to knock some sense into the others' heads.

The problem with holidays and special occasions is, they're usually tied to past experiences. So, if your cat died on New Year's Eve, you don't usually like celebrating that day. And if you met the love of your life on St. Patrick's Day, you tend to love that special date. Of course, this also means there's no way of convincing someone to like (or dislike) a particular holiday, because you can't change their memories and past experiences. What can (and does) happen, though, is someone suddenly changing their mind about holidays and special occasions. A Christmas hater suddenly loves the holidays, and a Valentine's lover decides not to celebrate it anymore. Things change.

And this is exactly what happened to the man that's currently trying to be as quiet as possible as she toasts two bagels and grabs the cream cheese from the fridge. He's not a holiday person. Or, at least, he wasn't a holiday person before she turned his life upside down. Before she turned his life upside down, and before she made him see everything under a different light, he didn't celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, St. Patrick's Day or anything resembling a holiday. He didn't buy cards for anniversaries, birthdays or any other special occasion. He refused to acknowledge their existence. But now, after she had worked her magic on him, not only did he not find anything wrong with celebrating holidays and buying cards, but he also thought their half anniversary deserved a celebration.

Which is why, at six in the morning, instead of sleeping with his arms around her, Pete was standing in the kitchen getting her favorite breakfast food ready for a breakfast in bed. He had everything planned. Bagels with cream cheese, because she'd told him they were her favorite since she was a little girl. Green Thing, because she was Addison, and she liked it. Coffee, with milk but no sugar, because that's the way she liked it. And, already on the tray, waiting for everything else to be ready, an envelope with her name on it. The actual present. Which he hoped she'd like.

It was already seven when he walked upstairs with the tray in his hands. Knowing she wasn't exactly a gentle sleeper, and she was even less gentle when she woke up, he left the tray on his bedside table (because it had been officially his since that day, two months earlier, when she'd given him a copy of her key) before he climbed into bed and proceeded to wake her up.

As much as she hated mornings in general and waking up in particular, Addison had to admit waking up like this was far from unpleasant. With his lips on her neck and the way he softly whispered "Wake up, Add" between kisses, because she was no longer Addison, Addie or Montgomery. She was just Add. And even though she still called him Pete (but not Wilder anymore), and she was slightly annoyed because it was the same name everyone else used, he kept telling her it was different when she said it. And it was true. Because noone else could make him smile just by saying his name.

She reached behind her to run her fingers through his hair as a way of letting him know she was awake, and a sleepy smile appeared on her face when she heard his voice again. "Guess what." Addison rolled over to face him and kissed him softly before she opened her eyes. "What." He had to admit he loved these little moments. The moments when they were just being themselves. He gently pushed her hair away from her face. "You've been with a quack for six months. How does that feel?" She let out a small chuckle and moved closer to him. "No self-respecting surgeon would socialize with a quack. I deserve to be shunned from the medical community."

He laughed and pulled her closer to him to kiss her slowly, his lips barely touching hers. "We could be shunned together." He was murmuring the words between kisses, and he knew she had a thing for that. "It'd be fun." She smiled against his lips and slid one of her hands into his hair, pulling him closer to properly kiss him as she felt his arms tighten around her waist. When her lips finally left his, she smiled warmly at him and whispered. "Happy half anniversary, Pete."

He couldn't begin voicing his reply before her eyes widened and her smile was replaced with a playful smirk. "Do I smell coffee? And bagels?" He laughed at the excited look on her face. "Breakfast in bed, Sherlock." She grinned as she sat up and he placed the tray on her lap. "Happy half anniversary, Add." And he placed a soft kiss on her cheek while she happily spread cream cheese on the bagles. "I may or may not have remembered too, you know." He smiled and took a bite off the bagle in her hand, earning himself a fake icy glare. "Where's my present?" She smiled at his impatience and handed him a box she'd hidden under the bed.

Addison tried to focus her attention on the breakfast goodies in front of her, because the way he was slowly and carefully tearing the layers of wrapping paper on his present was driving her insane. If he didn't finish quickly, she'd have to open it herself. He laughed when he finally opened the box and looked inside. "Five new shirts. Thanks, Add, I needed them." His smirk made her blush slightly. It wasn't her fault that he looked so good in button down shirts. And it also wasn't her fault that by the time she was half-way through undoing the buttons, she was always too impatient to do anything but pull the damn thing open and forget about the buttons. Which is why he currently didn't have a single shirt with all the buttons.

He smiled at her flushed cheeks and saw an envelope on the bottom of the box. Addison placed the tray on her bedside table to give him her full attention as he opened the more important part of his present. Inside the envelope, he found a handwritten note.

"_Happy half anniversary!_

_I hope you've remembered, because if you haven't I'm probably feeling incredibly humiliated right now. If you have remembered, though, I'm definitely feeling very lucky and seriously happy. Anyway, if I've given you this I guess you have remembered, so here's your present:"_

He stopped reading there and chuckled as he looked at her. "You ramble and act like a paranoid woman even in writing." She lightly smacked his arm, but the smile never left her face. "Keep reading."

"_We're going away for a weekend, and you can choose everything. The place, the hotel, what we do, what we eat... it's all your call. So that's it, just tell me what you want and I'll make it happen. _

_Thanks for six amazing months,_

_Add._

_P.S: Camping, hiking, fishing and other forms of contact with the great outdoors are not included in this offer. Real beds, baths and toilets are a must"_

He smiled and gave her a soft kiss. "Thank you, Add. I already know where I wanna go." She cocked her eyebrow at him. "No great outdoors." He chuckled and handed her the envelope she hadn't noticed while she ate. "No great outdoors. Open it." She smiled when she saw the contents of the envelope. "Seattle?" He nodded and pulled her closer. "We promised Callie we'd go see her." She kissed him softly before replying. "It rains a lot in Seattle." He chuckled against her lips. "I have an umbrella. And it's big enough for both of us."

He kissed her again when her smile broadened at his words, and he held her closer when she parted his lips with her tongue. Luckily for them, their half anniversary had been on a Saturday. Which meant they didn't have to go to work, and could spend all day in bed if they wanted. And that's exactly what she was thinking about while she followed the lines on his chest with her fingertips as their kiss grew more urgent. And it was also what he was thinking about when he slid his hands under her Star Wars shirt.

As he looked at her, feeling her hands on his skin, he couldn't help but think he really, really loved special occasions.

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A/N: Fluff again, sorry about that. I promise it won't all be like this, though :P

Please let me know what you thought, it really helps me if I know what I'm doing right or wrong :) I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own them.**

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**2**

In the last few months, the Weekly Oceanside Get-Together - or DorkFest, as Callie had lovingly christened it after being part of one - had evolved into the Weekly Oceanside Bonding Nights. That meant that, instead of everyone hanging out at Addison's house, the women got together at Addison's, the men at Sam's, and then all of them had dinner in one of the two places.

The new arrangement was slightly illogical considering it was now Pete and Addison's house, but Naomi and Violet missed their girls' nights in, and since they couldn't really kick Pete out whenever they wanted, they decided having the house for the women on Saturday nights was only fair. And, to be fair, Cooper, Sam and Pete weren't complaining. They also missed their guy's nights in.

Even though this Saturday in particular was also Pete and Addison's half aniversary, they decided not to cancel on their friends, because even though neither of them would admit it, they needed to talk to them about their Seattle weekend get-away. Not that they didn't want to go, but they were both slightly nervous now that they'd had time to think about everything that could go wrong.

Violet let out a groan when she walked into the house and saw Pete kissing Addison before leaving for Sam's. "Six months and you're still like that? Have some decency, people!" Addison laughed when Pete made a show out of kissing her neck, making Violet frown in disgust, and she playfully pushed him away as she spoke with a mocking stern voice. "Behave yourself, Peter." He smirked at her and kissed her cheek before walking towards the door. "Have fun, ladies. And don't let her get too drunk, Vi."

Addison smiled as she poured two glasses of wine, and Violet shoot her a smirk as she took a seat on one of the stools. "So, six months, right?" Addison nodded and handed her a glass. "Six months. Can you believe it?" Violet took a sip of wine and smiled at her friend. "Surprisingly enough, I can."

Violet had always been protective of Pete, but over the last few months she'd warmed up to Addison and now they were very good friends. Violet liked that Addison was a bit of a crazy and she was always ready to listen, and Addison liked that Violet was always honest with her and didn't hesitate to stop her as soon as she started getting dramatic. They always had good times together, and Violet had to admit she'd never seen Pete happier than he was now, so she really had nothing to object.

Violet and Addison hadn't been talking for a long time when Naomi walked into the house. "Can you believe it's been almost a year since you moved?" Addison smiled at her. "It's hard to believe, actually." Naomi poured herself a glass of wine. "I'm glad you moved." Violet nodded in agreement. "I think we all are."

The three women smiled as they thought about how their lives had changed in the past year. Addison was celebrating her half aniversary with a man who was everything she needed, Naomi had been officially rebuilding her marriage with Sam for three months, and Violet and Cooper's second date was scheduled for the next Friday. Needless to say, the non-consorting rule had been conveniently erased from their memories.

And, even though Pete was the only one who could say his life had changed because of Addison moving, the rest tended to see it as the turning point that made them head in the right direction. It had been indeed a new Oceanside Wellness ever since she joined their team.

"We're going to Seattle next weekend." Naomi choked on her wine, but Violet, oblivious to the current location of Addison's ex-husband, smiled at her. "That sounds nice, want to show him where you used to live?" It was then that she noticed Addison's nervous smile and Naomi's shocked expression. "What? What did I miss?"

"Addison's ex-husband lives in Seattle." Violet was about to say something, but Addison interrupted her. "With his intern." Naomi spoke again after that. "And his best friend." The redhead nodded as she took another sip of her wine. "Who used to be my dirty misstress." Violet didn't even try to speak as she saw Naomi was about to add something else. "And Addison's intern." Addison closed her eyes. "And I'm taking my boyfriend there. Am I insane?" Violet took a sip of her wine to wash away the shock. "Slightly insane, yes."

After Addison had informed Violet of everything she needed to know about her past relationships in Seattle, the three women were discussing whether or not Addison and Pete should go spend the weekend there.

"But you're over Derek, right?" Addison nodded vigorously. "Yes. Definitely. Over him. Definitely over him." Violet cocked her eyebrow, but chose not to say anything. "And Mark?" Addison was beginning to feel slightly dizzy from all the wine and the nodding. "Over him." Naomi didn't ask about the intern, because she knew he wasn't the problem.

Addison softly massaged her temples as she looked at her knees. She was beginning to regret the whole weekend get-away idea. "What if I'm not over him?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, and Naomi didn't have to ask who she was talking about. "Addie..." Violet's voice was stern when she spoke again. "You have to be. You just have to, because you've been with Pete for half a year, and you will not break his heart now. You just won't."

Meanwhile, on the house next to theirs, the men were having a similar conversation. "What's that Derek like? Could I take him on a fight?" Sam pondered his question for a moment, and then nodded at his friend. "Definitely." Pete downed his beer and asked again. "What about Mark?" This time, Sam didn't look so convinced. "I'd say... just try to stay away from him."

Cooper looked at his friends and then shook his head in disbelief. "If you're so worried about this, maybe you should just go somewhere else." Pete grabbed another beer from the refrigerator. "I want to go to Seattle. Add misses her friend, and I want to go with her. I just want to come back with her as well, if at all possible."

It's not that he didn't trust Addison. He trusted her completely, and he knew she would never cheat on him. But sometimes, even after six months together, he still had a feeling he didn't have all of her. Like there was a part of her that had stayed in Seattle. More specifically, in a trailer in Seattle. With her ex-husband. And he wondered how big that part was compared to the one he had.

"Derek and Addison used to mean something. They were the perfect couple. But they aren't anymore. He screwed up, and then she did, and then he did again. They're done. Their marriage is over." Pete looked at Sam. "Says the man who's back with his ex-wife." Sam shook his head at his words. "I never cheated on Nai. And she never cheated on me. We didn't hurt each other nearly as bad as they did. It's completely different."

Pete wanted to believe him, but it was hard. He'd seen Addison cry over him, he'd seen her talk about him with a warm smile on her face, and it was just impossible for him to think she was completely over him. He could only hope what they had now was enough to keep her with him.

While Sam and Cooper tried to help Pete, Naomi and Violet did the same for Addison. "Talk to him. For the love of all that's sweet and pure, Addison, talk to your boyfriend!" Violet was irritated. She loved Pete, and she didn't want to see him hurt because his girlfriend was too stubborn to tell him she was worried. "I'm gonna have to agree on this one." Naomi nodded as she spoke, and Addison buried her face in her hands again.

What was she supposed to tell him? "Hey, Pete, honey, I may or may not still have feelings for my ex-husband." As much as she tried to come up with something that made sense, she had nothing. But this past year had taught her to always trust Violet with these things, so she figured she'd have to talk to Pete.

The women decided to call it a night an hour later, when they were all too tired to keep talking. Naomi left for Sam's and told the men they were done, so Pete went back to Addison's – it was still weird calling it his house – and Cooper followed him, hoping to get his second date with Violet that same night.

After Cooper and Violet had left, Pete sat next to Addison on the couch, his arm automatically wrapping around her shoulders. "We need to talk." He frowned slightly at her words. That was never good. "Okay. I'm listening." She sighed and shifted a bit against him, trying to find the words to tell him what she needed him to know.

"I'm worried about Seattle." He pulled her closer to him, feeling her uneasiness. "So am I." She rested her head on his shoulder as she spoke again. "I'm over Derek. But... I don't know." Pete's eyes never left the wall in front of them. "I know. That's normal, it's only been a year." She didn't know what to say. She knew he wasn't fine, but she didn't know what to say to make it better.

"That doesn't mean I want to be with him. I want to be with you. It's just... I don't think I'll ever be indifferent towards him" Pete's fingertips drew lazy patterns on her arm as he held her close to him. He wanted to kick himself for suggesting the trip in the first place, but at the same time he knew it had to happen sooner or later. He knew she wasn't indifferent, and he accepted it as normal, but that didn't help with the blinding rage he felt when he thought about her and Derek.

"We can cancel it if you want to." Pete shook his head at her words. "I want to go with you." She smiled as he kissed the top of her head. "He may be dreamy, but I'm a gladiator. And I made you half anniversary bagels." She let out a small chuckle at his words. "Is _us_ strong enough for this?" He loved how she still referred to them as "us", with her own special entonation.

"It's gonna be okay in the end, Add." She frowned slightly at his words. She'd never been a fan of empty promises. "How do you know?" Pete didn't know how he knew. He just did. Or maybe he didn't, but he just didn't want to entertain the possibility of losing her. She felt him shrug slightly before he spoke again. "If it's not okay, it's not the end."

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A/N: Thank you everyone for taking the time to review! It means a lot to read what you guys think about the story :) I hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you thought:) 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still don't own them.

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**3**

As soon as they walked out of the airport and onto the wet sidewalk, Addison felt a rush of memories wash over her. Memories of the last time she'd gotten off a plane in that same airport, ready for a consult at Seattle Grace and to see her husband with another woman. She had had an abortion weeks before, she had just finished her relationship with Mark, and she had just been informed of her husband's new relationship. It hadn't been a nice trip.

This time, though, she wasn't alone. She had Pete, and in the past year she'd been happier than ever. But that didn't mean she wasn't scared. She was terrified. Of seeing Derek, Mark and Alex. Of seeing Derek and Meredith. But, most of all, she was terrified of ending up broken again. But she had to admit, Pete's arm around her was helping a lot with the irrational fear.

She knew he wasn't as calm and collected as he looked, but she wasn't in a place to make him feel better. She was worried about her feelings for Derek being more serious than she thought, and she knew he was worried about the exact same thing. But, deep down, under all the layers of doubts, fear and insecurity, Addison knew – or she thought she knew – they were strong enough to get through this.

They had only been waiting for ten minutes when they heard a familiar squeal and Callie came running towards them, pulling Addison into a hug that she eagerly returned. "I hate you. And I missed you." Addison smiled and hugged her tighter. "I missed you too. But I love you." Callie chuckled as she pulled away, and then turned to look at Pete. "I see you brought your quack." He smiled as they hugged. "I missed the Ortho Queen."

Callie had gone to LA once a month for the past six months, because she understood Addison's reasons to not want to visit Seattle yet. She liked Pete more with every visit, and she was happy for her friend. She was finally happy, and she deserved it.

As the three friends walked towards Callie's car and put their bags in the trunk, Callie and Addison chatted as if they hadn't been talking on the phone for two hours the night before. "Did you tell anyone I was coming?" Callie shook her head as they got in the car. "Just the Chief and Bailey, but they already knew." Addison shifted uncomfortably on her seat. "Richard wants me to go in for a consult, but I don't know if I should go near the hospital..."

Between Callie and Pete, they finally managed to convince Addison that everything would be fine, and they would be there for her all the time, so she shouldn't worry at all. She knew she was being a bit of a drama queen, but everyone is entitled to a moment of weakness every once in a while, right? And, if there was a moment when being dramatic was justified, it was when you were about to walk with your boyfriend into the place where your ex-husband, his girlfriend, your ex-mistress and your ex-fling worked. Yes. Definitely justified.

The three doctors walked into the hospital together, and Addison took a moment to breathe deeply before stepping inside. It had been a year since she'd been there, and she was finding it very hard not to let the bad memories bring her down. They walked into the elevator in silence, and Pete felt the need to lighten the mood. "So, this is one of the aphrodisiac elevators, right?"

Both women laughed at his cocky smirk and flirty look, and he placed a quick kiss on Addison's lips to reward her for her laughter. "Finally, Montgomery is back." She smiled and leaned against him. "Thanks for coming with me." He was going to say something, but Callie didn't let him. "I hate you both. I hate you with a passion. Damn lovebirds."

The three of them were laughing when the doors opened and they found themselves looking at Alex Karev, who had an unreadable expression on his face as he looked at Addison. "Good morning, Dr. Karev." Pete moved closer to Addison when he heard his name. "Dr. Montgomery... you're back?" Addison shook her head. "I'm here for a consult, I'll be gone tomorrow night." He nodded and looked down as the elevator began moving again, and they stayed silent until it stopped on the fourth floor and the three friends stepped outside. "It was good seeing you, Dr. Karev." He nodded at her words. "It was good seeing you too, Dr. Montgomery."

As soon as the doors of the elevator closed again, Addison let out a breath that she didn't even notice she was holding and leaned against Pete as they walked. "One down, two to go." Pete smiled and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. "I could take that kid on a fight. You should have told me, I was worried about him being competition." Callie laughed at his words. "Okay, Addie needs to go talk to the Chief, and you're coming with me to get some scrubs so you can hang out with the cool kids."

Pete wasn't too happy to let her out of his sight, but he was feeling much better after the cold encounter with Karev, so she placed a small kiss on Addison's lips and followed Callie towards a supply room where she promised they'd find him navy scrubs so noone would think he was an intern.

Addison knocked on the door of his office, and he pulled her into his arms as soon as he saw her. "Addie. How have you been?" She blinked the tears away and sat on the couch next to him, glad to see his mentor again. "I'm great, Richard. I'm happy." He smiled and gently squeezed her hand, as he'd done countless times before when she was feeling down, or when he wanted to let her know he was proud of her. "No chance of you coming back, then?"

She chuckled at his words. "No chance of me coming back. My life's in Los Angeles." He nodded at his favorite student, a smile on his face. "As the Chief, I'm saddened to hear that. As your friend, though, I couldn't be happier." Addison smiled and felt the tears threatening to fall again, so she decided to change subjects. "What's the consult about?" He stood up to get a chart from his desk. "Remember the quintuplets? One of them needs surgery, and even though Dr. Hahn can handle it, the parents have told us they'd feel better having you in there as well. You're still a star around here."

While Addison read the chart and Richard told her everything she needed to know, Callie lead Pete towards the cafeteria, where they sat down to drink some coffee. "How are you liking Seattle so far?" He smiled as he took a sip of his drink. "It's all right, not nearly as rainy as I thought it'd be." She chuckled before talking again. "You can't trust Addie to be unbiased when talking about this place." He smiled at her and was about to answer when a petite woman interrupted them.

"Is it true? That McSatan's back? Because Karev said so, and Mer is going insane." Callie chuckled slightly at her nervousness. "She's here for a consult, she's not back. And it's McHot, not McSatan." Cristina's eyes widened in silent horror, knowing dark and twisty Meredith would be back very soon. "She's not staying with us, right? She can't stay with us, Mer will kill herself and then she'll kill us both. Not Satan, though, because she scares the crap out of her. Tell me she's not staying with us."

Pete smirked, amused at the apparent fear his girlfriend inspired in everyone in Seattle. He was about to tell the young woman exactly where "Satan" would be staying, but a sharp kick in his shin paired with Callie's death glare told him to shut up. "She's staying in a hotel, don't worry. And really, stop with the Satan." But Cristina had seen the rest of the first-year residents on a table nearby, and she was gone before Callie could say anything else.

"I'm guessing that was Cristina Yang." Callie laughed as she nodded. "The one and only. Sorry about kicking you, by the way." He chuckled at the obviously fake sorrow on her face. "It's okay, you saved me from Satan's wrath anyway." Callie took a sip of her coffee and smiled at Addison, who was now walking towards them. "Stop with the Satan."

Addison sat on a chair next to Callie and smirked at Pete. "I've heard three nurses refer to me as Satan already. Which makes you Satan's Bitch." Callie burst out laughing as soon as she saw Pete's face after Addison's words. "You really are Satan." She nodded as she took a sip of her coffee. "But I'm your Satan."

He laughed at the flirty look on her face and neither of them noticed Callie trying to catch their attention. "Guys. Addie... " When she finally managed to make her friend listen, she pointed towards the door. "Sloan."

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A/N: Thank you for your wonderful reviews, it means a lot to me to see you're still enjoying this story:)

I'm not too happy with this chapter, but hopefully Mark and Derek will make things more interesting ;) Please read and review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still own nothing at all.

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**4**

"What?" Addison looked at her friend as if asking what Mark had to do with anything, but the smile fell from her face as soon as she looked at the door and saw Mark Sloan standing there, his eyes fixated on her. She shook her head to focus after the initial shock of seeing him after a year. "Mark..."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but that didn't stop Pete from hearing her and looking at the man who was standing in the doorway. This one he definitely wouldn't want to have to fight. For the first time since she met Addison, he was actually intimidated by another man.

After a moment of staring into each other's eyes, Addison stood up to walk towards him, but Mark clenched his jaw and walked out of the cafeteria after shooting her an icy glare that didn't go unnoticed by Pete or Callie. Addison sat back down after a few moments of shocked silence, and let out a small sigh before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Well, that didn't go too well, did it?" Addison looked questioningly at Callie, confused by the bitter tone of her voice. "Not really, no..." And then, the way her friend rolled her eyes made something click in her head and she finally understood what was bothering her. "Cal, it's not like that, we're over..." But the sound of her pager interrupted her, and she sighed as she read the small screen. "I have to go see my patient. I'll talk to you guys later, okay?" After sending a small smile Pete's way and giving Callie's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, Addison walked briskly out of the cafeteria and towards her patient's room.

Pete and Callie stayed in silence for a few minutes after she left. The moment of almost visible tension between Mark and Addison had left both of them feeling slightly worried. Pete was the first to talk, hoping to bring back the cheerful Callie he knew and loved. "I can voodoo both of their asses. Just ask and I'll do it." His joking remark earned him a small chuckle from Callie, and she shook her head before replying. "I'd forgotten their thing."

He had a confused look on his face, and she explained herself before he asked. "Their thing. The chemistry thing. The 'we'll melt the whole building with our hotness' thing. It's kind of scary sometimes, the way you can almost see it between them. I'd forgotten about it." Pete frowned slightly at her words, willing himself to think positive. "I didn't see it." But she didn't believe it, and it was normal considering he didn't believe it himself.

"Everyone saw it. Everyone sees it, all the time. I don't think they can help it, it's just there, it's chemistry. Or electricity, I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if touching either of them when they're looking at each other would give you an electric shock." Did he and Addison have that? Did they share that kind of chemistry? Pete didn't know, and he didn't want to know. He just wanted to go find his girlfriend and take her home with him.

"This wasn't a good idea." The way he said those words, with a hint of defeat in his voice, made Callie remember who she was talking to and she immediately regretted her words. "Oh, God, Pete, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He shook his head as if asking her not to apologize or explain anything to him.

"I know you didn't. I guess I have to let her work it out, right?" Callie smiled at him and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "She loves you, Pete. She does. You'll be fine." Pete wasn't so sure about it, but Callie couldn't say anything else to cheer him up before her pager went off. "The joys of residency" she said as she rolled her eyes. "I'll see you later, okay?" He answer with a nod and a smile. "Don't worry, she loves her quack." Pete chuckled as she left the cafeteria, and he went back to his coffee.

He thought back on Callie's words. Addison did love him, didn't she? He tried to think about the last time she said it, and he realized they hadn't told each other those three words yet. How can that happen? How can you live with someone and spend six amazing months together and not tell her you love her? He shook his head as he tried to make himself believe there would be a chance for him to tell her as soon as this was over.

While Pete worried about his relationship with his girlfriend, said girlfriend walked briskly towards her patient's room, slightly nervous about being about to go into surgery again after almost a year. "Addison?" Addison looked up from the chart she was reading and found herself looking at Isobel Stevens, her favorite intern turned intern who hated her turned Callie's husband's mistress. It took a lot of self-control not to scream at the blond woman in front of her.

"Dr. Stevens." The resident looked shocked at the cold treatment she was receiving from the usually friendly surgeon, and she shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other as she looked at her. "We didn't know you were back." Addison wondered if she really was self-centered enough not to know what her problem was. Everyone knew how close she was to Callie. And, considering Stevens had slept with her husband, it shouldn't have been surprising to see her being less than excited about seeing the woman again.

"I'm not. I just came here to visit Dr. Torres." She had to confess seeing the blonde squirm was fun. And it's not like she didn't deserve it. "Oh. I thought... well, you're reading a chart..." Addison gave her an overly exasperated look, the exact same one Mark usually saved for his especially annoying interns, and then spoke again. "The Chief asked for a consult. I have to go, I have a patient to see." She congratulated herself for keeping it as scary as possible while still in the realm of the professionally acceptable, and walked into the room where Dr. Hahn was already talking to the baby's mother.

They walked out of the room a few minutes later, after explaining the procedure to the worried mother and going through a very awkward moment when the well-meaning woman asked Addison about "the other Dr. Shepherd." She'd almost forgotten she was still married when she'd met the quintuplets' mother, and the reminder of that year of her life didn't help with her already far from perfect mood.

Addison followed Dr. Hahn into the attendings' locker room, and she sat on one of the benches as she started changing into her scrubs. "Dr. Hahn, I've been thinking, maybe we should try the procedure I told you about earlier today. I know it's more complicated, but the girl would lead an almost normal life, and..." The other doctor shook her head. "Dr. Montgomery, that procedure has only been done a handful of times before. I don't think we should take unneccesary risks."

Something about the way she'd told her that, as if she was just an intern, made Addison's blood boil. "Excuse me, but I happen to be..." Dr. Hahn interrupted her again. "The Gyno Queen. Yes, so I've heard." The situation was too ridiculous to keep a straight face, and Addison smirked as she spoke again. "I prefer Ruler of all things vajayjay, but I'll answer to Gyno Queen."

Erica's shocked face told her she wasn't expecting the redhead to have the ability to make sarcastic remarks or a sense of irony, and that was one of Addison's strong points. Surprising people. It worked like a charm. "I was going to say I happen to be one of the handful of surgeons that have successfully performed this procedure, and I'd like you to reconsider. The Chief agrees with me."

Dr. Hahn smirked at her, secretly happy to have found another female surgeon with at least as much talent as herself, and she spoke again. "Well, if the Chief agrees, I guess I have nothing else to add." Addison's mood had improved considerably since before she talked to her. She always liked finding a match for her talent and general bitchiness, and she couldn't wait to tell Pete about it.

Meanwhile, Pete was still sitting alone in the cafeteria, hoping for either Callie or Addison to come back soon. He looked around, wondering if anyone ever worked at this hospital considering there wasn't a single empty table, when the sound of a male's voice stopped his train of thought. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here? It's kind of crowded in here today." Pete looked at the man and nodded with a smile. "Go ahead, no man should have to eat his lunch standing up."

The brown haired man chuckled as he sat down on the chair in front of Pete, and he noticed his navy scrubs as he took the first bite off his sandwich. "Are you new here? I've never seen you before." Pete shook his head before answering him. "Oh, I'm not a surgeon. I'm just visiting with my girlfriend, her friend let me borrow these." The other man smiled as the Pete pointed at his scrubs. "I see. So you aren't a doctor?"

Pete nodded as she replied. "I am. Just not a surgeon. I'm not much into cutting. What about you?" The man took a sip of his water before he spoke again. "I'm a neurosurgeon. What's your girlfriend's specialty?" Pete thought for a moment. Neurosurgery? Why did that sound familiar? He didn't know any neurosurgeons that he knew of, and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that it should have made something click in his head. "Neonatal."

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A/N: Thank you so, so much for reviewing, everyone! You guys keep me going :)

I'm sorry it took a little longer this time, work is driving me insane and I lost the Paddie inspiration for a bit. Then I watched the countertop kiss again and it all came back ;)

Please let me know what you thought!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I still don't own them.

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**5**

"Neonatal? I used to know a neonatal surgeon." Pete noticed the slight change in the man's expression as he said that, but he shrugged it off and kept making small talk, grateful for the distraction while the women were away. "So, neurosurgery? That's one competitive field." Apparently, the man who sat across the table from him liked talking about his job, and he was soon animatedly telling him everything about it.

If Pete had asked more about the neonatal surgeon he used to know, Derek would have told him it was his ex-wife. The one that hurt him like no one else could and the one he hurt more than he'd ever admit. The one he couldn't really stop thinking about, even though he wasn't sure if he had feelings for her anymore. The one that left without a good-bye. The one he had decided to erase from his memory in hopes of being able to really move on. That ex-wife.

The same ex-wife who was now walking towards the residents' locker room with Erica Hahn. Addison didn't really want to face the first year residents, the ones she still thought about as interns, but it was her job to teach them, and she wasn't going to let her personal life interfere. She was a professional, after all.

As they reached the door to the locker room, Addison was still trying to figure out which resident to ask to scrub in with her. Karev would be too awkward, and she didn't want to mess up his chances of scrubbing in with Mark. Stevens was out of the question because of the adultery thing, as was Grey because it was way too awkward to consider. And Yang was definitely going to be picked by Hahn, considering the young woman's obvious interest and talent for the specialty.

Since she only had legitimate reasons to keep Karev and Yang out of the OR, she figured the choice was between Grey and Stevens. Well, she could ask some questions. Let them earn the right to scrub in. She knew Stevens would probably be the one scrubbing in, and she had to admit, even though being Callie's best friend meant she hated her by default, she had meant it when she said she showed promise for her specialty.

As soon as they set foot in the locker room, though, Hahn proved her wrong by asking Stevens to scrub in, ignoring Yang's obvious interest. Taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, Addison chose to wait until later to choose a resident, and followed Hahn when she walked outside. As the two women walked towards the board, Erica broke the silence to ask her a question.

"How come you didn't pick a resident to scrub in?" Addison welcomed the chance to get an explanation about what had just happened. "I didn't know who to ask. Stevens used to be interested in neonatal, but I guess she's more into cardio now." Erica smirked as she grabbed the chart from the counter behind them. "She shows interest for my specialty, yes."

Even more curious than before, Addison pretended to read the board as she asked again. "Yang used to be the go-to intern when it came to cardio. Did she change her mind as well?" Hahn shook her head. "Yang's relationship with Burke helped her a lot during her internship. I'm not about to follow his lead and hand her surgeries on a silver platter." The look Erica gave her let her know she was supposed to agree, but the truth was she was far from pleased. Her relationship with Preston had helped her in some ways, but the young doctor was undeniably talented and hard-working, and Addison couldn't help but find Hahn's reasoning extremely unfair.

Addison excused herself after a few more minutes of board-watching, and walked back towards the cafeteria, hoping for a few minutes with Pete before going into the OR. But she hadn't even reached the elevator when someone called her name. "Dr. Montgomery!" She turned around and saw Alex Karev walking towards her, and Addison quickly put on her usual professional smile, ready to face the resident alone.

"Dr. Karev." Alex stood in front of her, a little too close for her liking. "Dr. Montgomery, I just wanted to... Well, these are... You left them here." Addison smiled warmly as he handed her her glasses. "Thank you, Alex. I thought I'd lost them." He shoot her one of his sheepish smirks. "You're welcome. I didn't know if you were coming back, so... yeah."

Addison nodded at his words, acknowledging the fact that she'd left without so much as a word of warning, but also letting him know she wasn't about to apologize. She wasn't his girlfriend, after all. "Well, thanks again. Oh, and... I have an interesting surgery in about an hour, would you like to scrub in?" Alex's face fell as soon as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Sloan is finally letting me scrub in, but..."

With a smile still on her face, she shook her head letting him know he didn't have to say anything. "It's all right, Mark has a lot to teach and I'm glad he's finally doing it." He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, and she figured there really wasn't anything else for them to talk about. "I should get going..." Alex looked relieved that the awkward moment was finally over. "Yeah... It was nice seeing you, Dr. Montgomery." She smiled at him as she started walking again. "You too, Alex."

As she stepped into the elevator, Addison felt both proud and relieved. Proud of herself for having gotten over him, and relieved that she really was over him. One down, two to go. She'd already seen Mark, and she had to admit there was tension there, but she was sure she didn't have any romantic feelings towards him. But she was dreading the moment she had to face Derek. While she knew she wasn't in love with him anymore, she wasn't sure she was completely over him yet.

She was still thinking about that when she stepped out of the elevator and found herself looking at Meredith and Cristina, looking like they hated the world. She assumed – and her assumptions were always right – Cristina's problem was Hahn picking Izzie, and Meredith's problem was her being in town. And she figured she was right when both women jumped slightly as they saw her walking towards them.

"Dr. Grey." Meredith managed a small smile, and Addison figured it was as good as it could get considering their history. Looking at the brunette, she spoke again. "Dr. Yang, I have a surgery with Dr. Hahn in an hour, would you like to scrub in?" Cristina stayed silent for a moment, seemingly surprised about Addison's offer. "I don't have all day, Dr. Yang." Addison's bossy tone made the resident focus, and she looked apologetically at Meredith as she answered. "Absolutely, Dr. Montgomery!"

Addison smiled as Cristina almost ran towards the patient's room as soon as she handed her the chart. She reminded her of herself after she finally learnt her lesson not to get too attached. Focused, hard-working, talented and competitive. Yang would make an amazing surgeon, she could tell, and she hoped Hahn would give her the chance to study under her.

Addison was walking back to the cafeteria when she saw Mark walking into the attendings' locker room, and she stopped walking to think about what she should do. She could keep walking, go into the cafeteria and spend some time with her boyfriend before the surgery, or she could keep walking, go into the locker room and face Mark Sloan.

She took a deep breath before she started walking again, and yet another one before she opened the door to the locker room. Mark was standing with his back to her, and she closed the door before speaking. "Hey, Mark." Her voice wasn't as confident as it normally was, and she thought it would have sounded even more trembling if she talked again now that Mark had turned around to face her.

"Addison." His eyes were piercing hers, and she subconsciously let her fingers toy with the glasses that rested on her coat's pocket. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the lockers to his right, his face the perfect picture of anger and heartbreak. She was starting to regret walking into the room, but she knew she'd have to do this sooner or later if she wanted to go back to being her friend.

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A/N: Thank you very much for all your reviews! I really appreciate them :)

I hope you liked this chapter, I know it wasn't too exciting, but the next one will be better, I promise :D


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

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**6**

Mark and Addison stood in silence for a few moments, adjusting to being in the same room after a year without even talking to each other. The tension between them was almost visible, and neither of them moved a muscle as they looked into each other's eyes, noting the changes that had happened in the past twelve months.

The love and desire she used to see in his eyes every time he looked at her had been replaced by anger and coldness, and she could almost see the muscles on his face tensing up more by the second. She wanted to say something, anything, but this is a new situation – because he's not her friend Mark, or her husband's friend Mark, or her lover Mark anymore – and she hasn't adjusted to it yet.

And Mark, behind the mask of anger and coldness, was studying her face, trying to come up with reasons for the small changes he saw there. Her eyes were warmer than he remembered them, and the tension in her face and body was superficial, a layer of nervousness over the peacefulness that irradiated from her. He hadn't seen that in years. Ever since her marriage began to break, it had been a layer of fake peacefulness over her internal struggles and doubts, and seeing it the other way around took him by surprise.

After a few more moments, Addison broke the silence. "So..." She didn't know what else to say. She just wanted the uncomfortable silence to end. "What are you doing here, Addison?" The bitterness in his voice took her by surprise, and it took her a second to bounce back and answer his question. "I'm just visiting, and..." He interrupted her before she could go on. He wasn't in the mood for small talk. "You didn't even tell me you were leaving."

She looked down, knowing she'd been far from fair when she left Seattle without telling him. "Mark, I..." But he interrupted her again, taking a step towards her and looking angrier than before. "Did I really mean that little to you? As a friend? One year, Addison! And you couldn't even call? Let me know you were still alive?" She looked up at him again, and the fierce look in his eyes gave her the strength she needed to fight back. "I needed time, Mark! I needed time away from this!"

The sound of his fist hitting the locker next to him startled her slightly, but she held his gaze. "You ran away! You made me believe you wanted to give us a chance, you slept with Karev, you told me you wanted us to be friends, and next thing I know you're gone!" It took her a moment to find her voice again after realizing he knew about Karev. "I know I should have told you, Mark, but I needed a fresh start. I needed to move on!"

"You told Torres, and Bailey, and the Chief!" At her shocked expression, he kept talking. "And I know you didn't sleep without any of them, but I thought we were friends first, Addison!" A small smile appeared on her face when she realized he wasn't hurt as a possible boyfriend. He was hurt as a friend, and he had every reason to be. "I'm sorry, Mark. I should have told you. I just thought..."

Her smile still had the same effect on him, and his expression softened immediately. "That I'd go down there and kick that quack's ass? Well, I would have. As a friend, I have the right to be protective." She rolled her eyes at his words. "Can't that woman keep a secret?" Mark chuckled slightly at the exasperated look on her face. "Well, I can be very convincing when I want to be."

She laughed at his cocky smirk, and smiled warmly at him. "I missed you." He nodded and smiled back. "You too. Torres is a great replacement as the annoyingly girly friend, but she doesn't cry when I propose a camping trip, so it's not nearly as entertaining." She chuckled and gave his arm a gentle slap. "For your information, whining and crying are not the same thing."

They were still laughing when the door opened and Cristina Yang walked into the locker room. "Oh... I'm sorry. Dr. Montgomery, Dr. Hahn wanted me to tell you that the surgery has been rescheduled for later today." Addison nodded and thanked her for letting her know, and Mark spoke again as soon as the resident had walked out. "Did you bring him with you?" She smiled and pulled on her lab coat. "He's in the cafeteria, with Callie. Wanna meet him?" He shoot her a smirk and told her he'd wait outside while she finished getting ready.

They walked together towards the cafeteria and saw Pete sitting alone at a table. She smiled as soon as she saw him and walked towards him to place a quick kiss on his lips. "Where's Callie?" He smiled as she sat down next to him. "She had to go, but I made a new friend. He's a surgeon, I feel special." She laughed and looked at Mark, who was obviously waiting for her to introduce them.

"Pete, this is Mark Sloan, one of my best friends. And Mark, this is my boyfriend Pete." Mark smirked as he shook his hand. "Boyfriend. You sound like a teenage girl." Both Pete and Addison laughed at that, and Pete felt relieved that all there was between Mark and Addison was friendship. Mark sat down on Addison's other side and took a sip of his coffee. "So, Callie tells me you're into holistic stuff, right?"

The three of them had been talking for a few minutes when Derek came back after answering to a page. Pete looked up when he saw him, ready to introduce him to the neonatal surgeon he'd told him about, but he couldn't begin to talk when he saw him stop walking as soon as he saw Addison. He took a few more steps towards the table where Mark and Addison were still talking and stared at her for a second before speaking.

"Addie?" Addison immediately looked at him, and stood up when he walked around the table towards her seat. Pete looked at her, wondering what would happen next. "Addie, what are you doing here? I didn't know you were back." Addison's mouth was slightly open, and she looked at him as if trying to make the part of her brain that controlled her speech come back to life. After a moment of silence, she finally managed to speak, although her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Derek..."

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As always, thank you all for your reviews! I'm glad you're still enjoying it, and I hope you liked this chapter as well.

I know it was really short, but I hope it wasn't too bad. Let me know what you thought!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: They aren't mine.

A/N: Thank you everyone for reviewing, it really makes my day to hear your thoughts on this :) I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but I wanted to make Addek justice, and it never felt good enough to me. But I'm happy now, so here it is:P I hope you'll like it, and please read and review!

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**7**

"_Derek…"_

Pete couldn't believe what was happening in front of him. Derek? As in, her ex-husband, Derek? The nice neurosurgeon who'd shared his table for the last hour was Addison's ex-husband? This wasn't good.

And he didn't feel relieved at all when he noticed the way Addison seemed to be hypnotized by the man's movements, her eyes following him as he moved around the table and stopped inches away from her. She didn't seem to be breathing while she looked at Derek, her mouth still half-open and her face slightly paler than normal.

It's not that he was expecting Addison to be all fine and dandy around him, as if nothing had happened between them. It was just that Pete wasn't ready to see, in person, the effect Derek still had on her. The one Addison herself had told him about. Like she couldn't breathe, or think or speak when he was around.

And, apparently, a year apart from him hadn't been enough to change it.

Pete felt like he'd suddenly become invisible, along with everyone else in the cafeteria. Like it was only Addison and Derek in the room, looking into each other's eyes, his face calm and his lips curled up in a small smile, and her face tense and her jaw clenched shut. And he felt like he was intruding, just by breathing on the same air as them. Like the scene in front of him was something private, something between two people that knew each other better than anyone else in the world.

And it was like a trainwreck. Because he didn't want to look, he didn't want to see her look at him with those eyes that he thought were just his to look into, but he still couldn't stop looking. It was heartwrecking, but oddly fascinating, to see Addison, one of the strongest women he'd ever met, trying not to break under Derek's gaze.

The spell was broken when, after seconds of silence – that felt like years to Pete – Derek took one last step towards her, stepping into her personal space, and Addison automatically took a step back, snapping out of the momentary confussion that was clouding her mind. And she shook her head softly, almost unperceivably so, as if she was trying to get rid of the sudden weight on her mind.

It took all of Pete's self-control not to take her in his arms.

But it was Derek talking to her, and the need to hold her and kiss the pain away was suddenly replaced by the need to kill the man who made that pain exist in the first place. "Addison?" Derek's voice was calm and collected, as if he saw her everyday. And she finally let out a breath that she hadn't noticed she was holding, and took another step away from him. "I can't."

Pete saw her leave after those words, still shaking her head, walking briskly towards the exit. And he saw Derek follow her after a second of confussion, running after her as if he still had the right to do so. As if he hadn't broke her, as if he'd been the one who saw her put herself back together, piece by piece. As if.

But that doesn't matter anymore. Not when she's gone, and he's gone after her, and he's still somehow sitting at the same table, trying to make at least one of his muscles react. And it was Mark's voice – Mark, because he'd completely forgotten about him – that brought him back to reality. "It's gonna be fine." Pete looked at him as if asking him to either elaborate or shut the hell up. Because he's not in the mood for half-hearted peep talks.

"She's not going back to him. She's not stupid enough for that." And somehow, for some reason, Pete believed him. Even though he sounded like he was also trying to convince himself. Like he wanted to believe Derek wouldn't be able to break her again. Because Pete was her boyfriend – as stupid as that word sounded when they were both adults – but Mark was her friend, and they were both worried about the possibility of her getting hurt again.

And, while Pete and Mark tried not to go crazy as they silently nursed their coffees, Addison had finally found an empty on-call room to hide in.

But it wasn't empty for long, and Derek opened the door seconds after Addison had closed it, stepping inside and standing in front of her. "I can't do this, Derek." And she tried to reach the handle on the door behind him, but he placed his hand on the door, gently, without actually keeping it closed, and the gesture was enough to make her put her hand away and cross her arms across her chest.

It wasn't the normal pose Addison used sometimes, and he noticed that with a mixture of curiosity and concern. It didn't look daring or confident. She looked like, by crossing her arms in front of her, she was trying to protect herself. Like she was trying to hold herself steady.

And it dawned on him – after all this time – how much he'd actually hurt her. How, even though he'd never thought it could be possible, she'd been the one that ended up hurting the most. And suddenly, after five years of not looking at her and one of not having her there to look at, he finally saw her. Addison.

Addison, his friend. Addison, his best friend, his soulmate, and his wife. And now Addison, his ex-wife.

And he couldn't help but stare, and take her in. She had a part of him. A part that she'd earned after years of friendship, love and heartbreak. A part of him that, even though he often said and thought she didn't deserve, was very much hers, and only hers. Just like the part of her he had. The one he kept hidden somewhere, deep down, and tried to ignore.

But at that moment, seeing her there, in front of him, silently begging him not to hurt her anymore, he felt that small piece of her he still had, and he felt like it was exactly what was missing. His wife, his friend, and his life. This was it. Everything he wanted – a marriage, a home, a future – was right in front of him. And he'd let it go, but he could still get it back.

"I miss you" he almost whispered, and she closed her eyes. And he wondered if she did it to savor his words or to shield herself further. But she looked at him seconds later, and her eyes were colder than before. "Don't say that" was all she said, and it hurt him to see words weren't enough anymore. He'd overused them.

"I still love you, Add."

And he didn't know what he was expecting after he said that, but it wasn't the pure, undiluted rage he saw behind her eyes. "Don't. Don't call me that. Just... don't." He wondered if she'd heard him, so he tried again. "I love you." And the look on her face told him she was trying very hard not to hurt him. Badly.

"Shut up, Derek." They way she spat those words hurt him more than he could remember words hurting, but he refused to walk away. Not this time. "I'm sorry, Addie." And he took a step towards her, tentatively reaching for one of her hands. The expression on her face didn't change, but she didn't step away, and he took it as a good sign.

"I'm sorry, I really am." And he wished those words weren't so cliché, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. "I do miss you, and I do love you." And he didn't know what changed, if it was the small contact of having her hand on his, or maybe the closeness that was so familiar and foreign at the same time, but Addison suddenly relaxed, and he couldn't help but smile.

Because he thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

And he wondered if this was new or if she'd been missing it by looking at charts, or at patients, or at Meredith. He wondered if she'd always been able to take his breath away or if it was a new thing. Either way, he thought, it didn't matter. Because she was there, with him, and she was almost smiling now – in that way she had of almost smiling but not quite that had always driven him crazy – and she was taking his breath away.

So he did what any intelligent man would do in his situation. He leaned in, slowly at first, tentatively and looking at her for a hint of protest in his face, and when she didn't pull away or stop him, he finally touched his lips to hers. And it felt like home.

It wasn't rushed, it wasn't passionate, and it wasn't exciting. It was right. Comfortable, familiar and warm, just like her. And he wondered how he'd managed to live without it for so long, when right now he felt like he'd die if it stopped. His hands found her waist out of practice, like they'd done countless times before, and she leaned slightly closer to him, her lips parting when his tongue traced her lower lip, and her hands moving to rest on his shoulders.

And he didn't want this to end.

But she pulled back a moment later, gently and slowly, just like their kiss. And he knew she hadn't done it to catch her breath, because her chest was moving rhythmically, slowly, unlike his own. She smiled at him and wiped away a hint of her lipstick from his lower lip, and he felt at home again. But not quite. There was something different about her.

"I love you too, Derek. And I miss you too, sometimes." He looked at her, looking calmer than he ever remembered her being, and let her keep talking. "That's never going to change. We're Addison and Derek. There's history there. But we're not in love anymore." And he nodded against his will, because, deep down, he knew she was right.

"I'm never going to find another Derek, and you'll never find another Addison. But we can find what we really need. A person who makes us impossibly happy, and a person we make just as happy ourselves." And the sparkle in her eyes, and the warm smile on her face told him she'd already found that person. And he was happy for her.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out." She smiled at him, and let him hug her. "I'm sorry too, Derek."

And, when her pager went off, sending her running towards the OR, he stayed there, a smile on his face, and felt ready to move on, just like she'd done.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

A/N: As always, thank you for the wonderful reviews! I'm sorry it took me so long to update this, I fell off the Paddie bandwagon for a while, but I've regained my love for them now :P The next chapter will be the last of the actual story, and chapter 10 will be a little epilogue. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think!

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**8**

Callie walked into the cafeteria, smiling after a successful surgery, but the smile fell from her face when she saw Pete and Mark sitting at the same table. Talking. Alone. She looked around, hoping to see Addison, but she didn't saw her friend, and she tried to wrap her mind around the scene in front of her. After a moment of confusion, she shrugged the shock off – trust Addison to make her boyfriend befriend her ex – and walked towards the table, taking the seat next to Pete's. "Hey!"

Her cheerful greeting was met by somber mumbles, and she frowned at the men in front of her. "What's wrong?" Pete was the first to talk. "Addison left." Mark shook his head as he spoke. "And Derek went after her." The two men were looking down, frowning at the coffee cups in front of them, as if somehow their coffees were to blame for what happened. "What?" Callie grabbed Mark's cappuccino and took a sip. "Shepherd's over there, talking to Grey. What the hell are you on?"

Both men followed Callie's gaze towards one of the tables in the cafeteria, and sure enough, Derek was there with Meredith, seemingly having a good time. "He did go after her, though." Pete didn't look too convinced, and Callie gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "Well, I think it's safe to say she didn't go back to him. Not that I had any doubts." Pete smiled, relieved, and relaxed on his chair. "That's three out of three." Callie smirked as she spoke again. "Quackery 3, Surgery 0"

Meanwhile, in the OR, Erica Hahn was getting ready to finish her work. The surgery was going well, with no complications, and Addison's mood had visibly improved the moment she held the scalpel. She really had missed surgery.

Dr. Hahn was about to start suturing the little girl's heart when her pager went off. "Dr. Hahn? It's Mr. Adams. 911." Erica looked at Izzie, who was holding her pager, and sighed before putting down the suture set. The blonde looked at Addison, and she gave her a small nod. "You can go, Dr. Hahn. I'll finish here." Erica Hahn gave their patient one last look before speaking again, cocking her eyebrow at Addison. "Page me if you need help." Addison chuckled slightly and replied. "Don't worry, I'm the best." Erica met Addison's chuckle with one of her own before leaving the OR, and Addison couldn't help but think they'd have gotten along if they'd worked together.

When Hahn and Stevens left the OR, Addison looked up from her patient and stretched her neck, moving to the spot where Erica had been standing. "I'm going to need some extra hands in here." She looked around and spotted one of the new interns. "What's your name?" The younger woman answered with the same voice one would expect if she'd been answering a medical question. "Lexie. Grey. Lexie Grey."

Addison smirked behind her mask. Another Grey. "All right, Dr. Grey, I want you to come over here and replace Dr. Yang with the forceps." The intern nodded and walked over to Cristina, but the resident didn't move. It was one thing to have Hahn being a bitch to her, she wasn't going to take Satan as well. "But, Dr. Montgomery..." Addison interrupted her. "Dr. Yang, it wasn't a suggestion. Dr. Grey will hold those forceps. Step aside." Cristina hesitated for a moment, but Addison's stare made her move.

When Lexie was finally ready to begin, Addison looked at her. "Now, Dr. Grey, how do we proceed?" Lexie tried to sound as sure as possible as she spoke. She knew her resident was pissed off, and she had a feeling she'd take it out on her. "We do a running whip stitch, Dr. Montgomery." Addison nodded and smiled behind her mask. "I see you've done your homework, Dr. Grey." She turned her head to look at Cristina when she spoke again. "Dr. Yang, could you come over to this side of the table? I've heard you have experience with this procedure, but I'm sure you've never done it on such a small heart."

In the gallery, Callie was talking to Mark and Pete. It was a long surgery, and they decided to go and watch instead of spending at least three more hours at the cafeteria doing nothing. "She's letting her do a running whip stitch on the baby?" Mark nodded at Callie's words. "I think Yang's just fallen in love." Pete shook his head and looked at them. "You surgeons are just a bunch of dorks." Callie cocked her eyebrow at him "In case you've forgotten, your girlfriend is one of us." Pete nodded and looked down at Addison. "It's weird seeing her down there, as the surgeon. It's almost like another person. The Addison I know wears crimson scrubs and jumps into birthing pools."

"Birthing pools?" Mark looked slightly disgusted. "Those are full of all kinds of nasty fluids, including feces. Addie hates those things." Pete chuckled at his comment. "That's exactly what she said. But she jumped in anyway." Mark didn't look convinced, but Callie nodded at Pete's words. "It's true, she told me. With the holistic birth plan which didn't go as planned." Mark sat back on his chair. "Holistic birth plan? You people broke our hotshot surgeon." Pete laughed and spoke again. "We just softened her." Mark shook his head. "Same difference." But he couldn't help but smile down at her softer – and happier – friend.

A few hours later, Addison walked into the scrub room with Lexie and Cristina, ready to scrub out after a successful surgery. After a few moments, Lexie looked at Addison and broke the silence. "Dr. Montgomery? I just... I wanted to thank you for letting me in on your surgery." Addison smiled at her. "No need to thank me, this is a teaching hospital." Addison's smile visibly relaxed Lexie. "I mean, I've heard so much about you, and..." Addison tensed up slightly. She wondered if she'd heard all that from the other Dr. Grey.

"I was really excited about meeting you when I came here, but you weren't working here anymore. I mean, I've heard you're the best, and my sister Molly told me you were amazing when she was here with Laura." Addison smiled, relieved. "How is she, by the way?" Lexie's smile broadened at that. "She's doing great, she's so big. They're coming over soon, to visit me and my father, and maybe Meredith. You know her, right? Meredith Grey?" Addison shifted uncomfortably, but Cristina spoke before Addison could answer. "Three, I want you to go down to the pit and tell Two and Four to go with you to the clinic. Bailey needs some interns." Lexie hesitated a moment before excusing herself and leaving the older women alone.

"You assigned them numbers?" Cristina shrugged as she dried her hands. "Too many names to remember. They only have a month left as interns, anyway." Addison smiled and shook her head. "Intern year is hell. We all took revenge on our first batch of interns." Cristina nodded and opened the door, but she changed her mind and walked back inside. "How did you do it?" Addison looked at her. "Excuse me?"

"How did you do it? How did you go through all the gossipping without people doubting you're the best?" Addison took a deep breath. Those interns – residents, they were residents now – and their asking for advice in the oddest moments. "You want them to believe you're the best? Be the best. Be the best at sutures, at doing paperwork, at being at the pit, at everything. Be flawless, and they'll get tired of staring and waiting for you to crack under the pressure. They'll end up realizing you just won't." Cristina nodded slowly. It was good advice, even if it was coming from the last person she thought would ever give her advice. Addison finished drying her hands and spoke again. "And, you know... If all else fails, pack your bags and move to warmer climates." And she walked out of the room, leaving Cristina with a small smile on her face.

Addison walked towards the elevator, looking forward to meeting her friends – and Pete – in the cafeteria, but she stopped when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Brilliant work, Dr. Montgomery." She smiled as she turned around, letting Pete place a small kiss on her lips. "Why, thank you, Dr. Wilder." He couldn't help but smile at the look of happiness on her face. "So what? Going back to your hotshot ways?" She chuckled as they stepped into the elevator. "Nope. I'd miss the holistic births and Dell's midwifery skills."

As soon as the doors closed, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "We survived Seattle." She smiled at him and kissed him before replying. "We did." They stood silent for a moment. Addison didn't know if she should tell him about her kiss with Derek. She'd be lying if she said it hadn't meant a thing. It had meant something. It had meant goodbye. But it had also made her see what she really wanted, and how much she wanted it. Taking a deep breath, she spoke again. "So, earlier, when I was talking to Derek..." But Pete shook his head and didn't let her finish. "You said your goodbye." Addison nodded slowly "We did. But, Pete, I..." He interrupted her again. "Add, you had your goodbye. That's all I want to know."

His arm was still around her when they walked outside towards their rental car. "Pete?" He looked at her when she stopped walking. "I love you. A ridiculous amount." He smiled and moved his free hand to her face, his thumb gently caressing her cheek as he kissed her slowly and deeply, savouring the feeling of knowing she was finally his. "I love you too. An even more ridiculous amount." She kissed him again before getting in the car, a beaming smile across her face. "Why did you wait this long to tell me?" She shrugged slightly as she buckled her seatbelt. "I wanted to wait until I knew I really was in love with you."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: They're still not mine.

A/N: Okay! This time I'm actually updated on time! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and to everyone who's still reading this :) I hope you'll like this chapter, it was one of my favorites to write :D Let me know what you think, please!

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**9**

After spending their last day in Seattle in their hotel room, enjoying their first get-away together, Pete and Addison decided to join Callie and Mark at Joe's for a goodbye drink. Addison had whined a bit, trying to make Callie understand she didn't really want to get out of bed until it was time to board their plane, but the brunette wouldn't take no for an answer, and they had finally agreed on meeting them after dinner.

They walked into the Emerald City bar and Pete lead her towards one of the booths, where their friends were already waiting, being more than friendly towards each other. "Oh, that's just nasty!" Callie and Mark pulled away when they heard Addison's voice, and she grinned at them as she sat down next to Pete. "Dr. Torres, were you planning on telling me about this?" Callie smiled broadly at her friend, relieved to see she looked happy for them. "Well, I was going to... but I never found the right moment... I thought Pete had told you!"

Addison turned to look at Pete. "You knew? She told you and you didn't tell me!?" Pete glared at Callie, who mouthed an apology. "She didn't technically tell me, though. I spent the whole day with them yesterday, and I just... saw it. And, they made me promise I wouldn't tell you." Addison pouted as she looked at Callie. "I can't believe you didn't tell me. I told you when I got the quack." Callie smiled at her friend. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but Mark didn't let me. He said if you didn't come to visit you didn't deserve the gossip."

Addison glared at Mark, who shrugged and looked at his girlfriend. "Thanks for that, Torres." Addison shook her head and looked at Callie again. "So, now that we all know you are a bunch of lousy friends... how long have you been together?" Callie smiled dreamily as she answered her question. "Five months." Mark corrected her "Five months and a half." Callie chuckled as she took a sip of his beer. "For the hundredth time, Sloan, two weeks of casual sex don't count as part of the relationship."

After a while of both women teaming up against them to defend that casual sex definitely didn't count as part of a relationship, and the men arguing that if it ends in a serious relationship the first time counts as the starting point, Callie put her empty glass back on the table and looked at Mark. "Five months and a week, that's all you get from me. And now go play darts with the quack so I can have a girly talk with Montgomery."

When the men were gone, Addison looked at Callie, who was suddenly silent, and took a sip of her drink. "Okay, Torres. Spill." Callie looked up at her friend, fiddling with her empty glass. "You know how I'm finishing my residency next month, right?" Addison nodded, encouraging her to go on. "Well, after I first went down to see you, I sent my resume to St. Ambrose, and the other day I received a letter offering me to do my fellowship there. They have a kickass Ortho program." Addison smiled and hugged her friend. "That's great! I'm so happy for you!" But Callie's somber expression made her sit back down. "It isn't great? Why isn't it great?"

"Well, I have Mark now. And we're doing great, you know. I always thought you were insane when you said the real him was different, but you were right." Addison smiled at her. "I'm always right. You should know that by now." Callie chuckled and spoke again. "We're happy. This is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and now... I can't just move to LA and leave him here, Addie. But it's the best Ortho program in the country." Addison gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. It really was a hard choice. "Have you talked to him about this?" Callie shook her head. "You need to talk things through. Tell him what's worrying you, and listen to what he has to say."

"You're spending too much time with Violet." Addison laughed at that. "True. But, hey, she does give good advice." Callie nodded and followed Addison's gaze towards Mark and Pete, who were in the middle of a very exciting darts game. "So, how are things going with Pete?" Addison cocked her eyebrow at her. "I assume he's already told you all you needed to know, what with you two being friends and telling each other everything." Callie chuckled and Addison smiled as she went on. "Things are amazing with Pete. He's... perfect, in a very imperfect way. He makes me feel... sure." Callie smiled at her friend. "So, this is it?" Addison nodded as she looked at him again. "I think it might just be."

Callie got paged a few minutes later, and Addison finished her drink before walking towards Mark and Pete. She'd almost reached the dart board when she heard someone calling her name. "Dr. Montgomery!" She turned around and saw the intern from the day before – the other Grey, as she called her in her head – sitting with the original Grey. The intern motioned for her to come over, and Addison hesitated for a moment before joining them. "Dr. Grey. And... Dr. Grey."

Meredith forced a smile. "Dr. Montgomery." Lexie smiled at the redhead as she took a seat next to them. "I was telling Meredith about our surgery today. It's not everyday that an intern gets to scrub in on something like that." Addison smiled at the intern's excitement, and she was about to reply when Cristina came back from the bathroom, seemingly unaware of Addison's presence at the table. "For the record, McSteamy and McYummy playing darts is so hot it's almost dirty. Now, Mer, finish telling us how McBastard is back to being McDreamy." That's when she saw Addison siting next to Lexie. "Oh. Crap."

Addison laughed and shook her head. "It's all right. I'm glad he's back to being McDreamy. It suits him." Meredith smiled, relieved. Maybe Cristina was right when she told her McSatan was different now. "By the way, Dr. Yang... McYummy? Seriously?" Lexie laughed at Addison's amused look. "I get confused with all the nicknames. I know McDreamy and McSteamy, and now McYummy... I still don't know who McSatan is, though."

Addison couldn't help but laugh when both residents glared at the younger girl. "That'd be me." Lexie looked surprised. "You? Seriously? You don't look all that McSatan-y to me." Addison chuckled, and she was about to reply when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Believe me, she is McSatan." Addison shot Pete a mocking glare. "At least I'm not McYummy." The man smirked at the three younger women. "I'm McYummy? Very nice. I think it suits me."

Addison laughed and stood up, letting him wrap his arm around her shoulders. "We should get going. It was nice talking to you." The three women nodded at Addison's words and said their goodbyes, and they looked at the couple as they walked out of the bar. "McDreamy, McSteamy and McYummy. She's like the queen of all things McSomething." Cristina nodded at Meredith's words. "And don't forget Evil Spawn. I'll never understand that one." Lexie's eyes widened at that. "Alex!? She really is McSatan." Meredith laughed, and Cristina shook her head, smirked as she remembered their conversation from the day before. "Nah. She's McHot."

Pete and Addison walked into their hotel room a few minutes later, and Addison sat on the bed and took off her shoes. Pete smiled at her as he sat next to his girlfriend. "So, six months and one week." Addison smiled and kissed him softly. "Six months and one week." She turned around to let him unzip her dress, and he placed a small kiss on her shoulder as he slid the fabric down her arms. "We survived Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Seattle." She let out a small chuckle as she pulled off his shirt, kissing him deeply, but he pulled away.

"We survived a lot of things. I think it's safe to say there's nothing we can't survive." Addison smirked at him and pushed him down on the bed, straddling his hips with her legs. "Yes, Pete. We're happy and in love, and we have an amazing, healthy, functional relationship. Can we get to the part where I have my way with you now?" He smirked as she started working on his pants. "We are happy and in love. And, I was thinking... how about we get married?" Addison stopped what she was doing and looked at him in shock. "What?"

He smiled at her and brought one of his hands up to tuck a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "I think we should get married. I want to marry you and be Mr. McSatan. And then we could buy a house, have some kids and grow old together. Not that you'll ever be old." Addison smiled at him, chuckling slightly as she felt her eyes start to water. "I thought you said you didn't ever want to get married again."

"I also said I'd never find the love of my life. You can't believe everything a quack tells you, you know." She smiled through the tears, and he brushed them away with his thumbs. "So, what do you say? Will you marry me?" Addison managed a small yes before she leaned down to kiss him, and he pulled away when the lack of air became an issue. "I have a ring, by the way." He pulled a small box out of his pocket and slid the ring on her finger. "I'd have gotten down on one knee, but my half-naked fiancée was sitting on me."

Addison chuckled as she looked at the ring. "I love you." He kissed her finger and smiled at her. "And I love you." She smirked at him and kissed him again, sliding down his pants. "That was one sucky proposal, by the way. The ring is gorgeous, but you didn't get me flowers, or champagne, or anything. You should be ashamed of yourself."

He laughed as he rolled them over, pining her down on the mattress. "You're marrying a quack, you're the one who should be ashamed."


	10. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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**10**** - Epilogue**

It's funny how drastically things can change in short periods of time.

Pete sits at the kitchen table of the home he shares with Addison, waiting for the bagels to be done, and can't help but think about all the changes that happened over the past two years. He knows some of those changes started earlier and others later, but he always thinks of Addison's arrival as the starting point for all of them. As she said herself, "Welcome to the new Oceanside Wellness Group." And she was right. It's been a new Oceanside ever since the moment she first set foot in it, two years ago.

Two years ago, Sam and Naomi were divorced and struggling to work together. Dell had a crush on Naomi, and she wanted Sam back. But he wasn't ready. And now... well, now Sam and Naomi are The Bennetts again, living at their old home with Maya and being happier than ever. Dell's been going out with one of St. Ambrose's nurses for a while now, and they seem to be doing great.

If Addison hadn't moved – if Naomi hadn't had her to talk to – none of that would have happened.

Two years ago, before Addison moved, Violet was trying to get over Alan while Cooper tried to gather the courage to tell her how he felt. Right now, they are living together, and last thing Pete heard, Cooper's going to propose soon. Violet tries to make everyone believe she isn't interested in marriage, but Pete knows – because Addison told him – that she's actually impatient for him to pop the question.

If Addison hadn't moved – if Cooper hadn't had the new, post-Addison Pete to talk to – none of that would have happened.

"Hey!" Addison's voice stops his train of thought, and Pete smiles at her when she walks towards him. "Morning, Mrs. Wilder." She lets out a small chuckle and kisses him softly, letting him pull her onto his lap. "Morning, Mr. Wilder. How did you sleep?" He smirks when she takes a sip of his coffee. "Well, my wife didn't really let me sleep that much. Did you know I got married?" Addison shoots him a playful look. "Really? I bet she's perfect. And smart, and gorgeous, and sexy."

He chuckles and gently pushes her off him so he can stand up. "Well... she's all right, I guess." His words earn him a smack on his arm, and he laughs as he walks towards the toaster. "Keep that up and I won't feed you anymore." She shrugs and grabs a cup of coffee, watching him while he spreads cream cheese on her bagels. "My husband's taught me how to cook. I can feed myself."

She keeps watching him as he finishes making breakfast, and she thinks back on their wedding, just two days ago. Everything's changed in the last two years.

Two years ago, Mark and Callie barely knew each other. She was trying to get over O'Malley, and Mark was trying to get over Addison and flirting with Erica Hahn. And now, they are living – with little Lily Addison Torres-Sloan – on the house next door, raising their daughter and proving Addison right when she said Mark just needed to find the right woman to bring out the real Mark Sloan.

When she said she needed a new life, she didn't know she was going to get it in the most literal sense.

Pete walks back to the table and sets her plate in front of her, smirking when he sees her smile at the selection of her favorite breakfast foods. She doesn't say a word as she eats her bagel, and he lets out a chuckle when she starts with the waffles. "Wow, someone's hungry today." She shrugs slightly and tries not to smile as she replies. "What can I say? I am eating for two, after all."

"What? You're..." She smiles at him, finishing the last few bites of her waffles. "Pregnant. Yeah. I'm pregnant." His face's unreadable as he looks at her, speechless, and she shifts uncomfortably as she waits for him to say something. "Pete?" He still doesn't say anything, but a small smile appears on his face, and she smirks as she gets up. "You munch on it for a bite while I go take a shower, ok?" He kisses the top of his head and goes to the bathroom, leaving him a few minutes to process the news.

It takes him a while to regain control of her brain. Things really have changed a lot. It's not that he doesn't like changes – changes are what keep life interesting, after all – but this is going a bit too fast for him.

Two years ago, he was a serial monogamist who was never going to find the love of his life. And now, here he is. Sitting at the kitchen table of the house he shares with Addison. With his wife. A house they bought because it reminded him of the one he grew up in, and she thought the backyard would be perfect to teach their kids how to play catch. Hypothetical kids, of course. They were going to start trying after the wedding.

And now, two days after she became his wife, she tells him she's pregnant. And he doesn't know how to react. A baby. He's always wanted kids, but he doesn't really know if he's ready yet. But, then again, he also didn't think he was ready to get married, and she proved him wrong. She had a gift for doing that, actually.

He walks into the bathroom a few minutes later, and opens the shower curtain to let her know he's there. "We're not naming our baby Carson. Or Batgirl." She chuckles and looks at him as he takes off his clothes. "Ok. No Carson or Batgirl."

And, as he joins his wife in the shower, he knows all the changes have been for the best.

**The End**

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A/N: This is it! I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so, so much to everyone who reviewed, you guys kept me going :) 


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